Roll supporting means



March 1961 J. c. BONGIOVANYNI 2,974,397

ROLL. SUPPORTING MEANS JOHN c; BONGIQOVANNI 0% f fimM ATTORNEYS UnitedStates ROLL SUPPORTING MEANS John C. BongiovannL-University Heights,Ohio, assignor to The Osborn Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 724,018

11 Claims. (Cl. 29-81) filed June 7, 1955, for Method and Mechanism forProcessing Elongated Metal Articles, now Patent No. 2,937,431 issued May24, 1960 and in my application Serial No. 666,375, filed June 18, 1957,for Strip Processing Mechanism, now Patent No. 2,913,809, issued Nov.24, 1959, I disclose novel roll assemblies whereby a continuouslytraveling metal strip is adapted to be sharply flexed over a smalldiameter roll for the purpose of fracturing scale on such strip and alsoto regularize the strip and prepare it for subsequent power brushingoperations. As illustrated and described in detail in my priorapplications, the small diameter work roll, which may have a diameter offrom about /2 inch to about 2% inches, for example, depending upon thework to be processed, is adapted to be supported by an appropriateback-up roll and opposed to a pair of cooperating larger rollspositioned relativelythereto to flex the metal strip over a substantialarcuate portion of the small roll periphery. The problem of journallingsuch small roll is consequently very much simplified and the rollsupported against the heavy pressures imposed thereon.

l havefound that under certain conditions of use there may be anadditional very substantial component of force exerted against the smallwork roll in the general direction of travel of the strip, and in myaforesaid application mounting a back-up roll somewhat oifset in thedirection of travel of thestrip better to support the small work rollagainst this action. It is highly desirable, however, that the smallwork roll should be veryprecisely positioned relative-to the two opposedlarger work rolls and should not be bodily displaced or bowed to anyappreciable degree in the direction of travel of the work. It isaccordingly an important object of the present invention to provide rollsupporting means effective to maintain the desired position of the rollrelative to other rolls of the assembly.

Still another object is to provide such roll supporting means which willbe floating, that is, not mounted directly on the frame-of the machineor stand.

{ A further object is to provide such roll supporting means which may bearranged to brace the roll at intervals along its length.

f Another object is to provide such roll supporting means which may bemounted upon a back-up roll and maintained against rotation relative tothe axis of such back-up rollby'engagement with other rolls of theassembly.

Other objects'of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said inventionthen comprises the features herein- Serial No. 666,375 I show anddescribe methods of claims, the following description and the annexeddrawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of theinvention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the variousways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. l is a semi-diagrammatic top plan view of a roll assembly includinga small work roll and cooperating back-up rolls therefor, together withthe supplemental support means of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section through the rollassembly, including the two opposed larger work rolls, and through oneof my'new supplemental roll supporting means showing the manner in whichthe latter is mounted; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the lower roll assembly with thesupplemental roll supporting means sectioned on the line 3-3 on Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to said drawing and especially Fig. 1thereof, the small work roll 1 may be positioned by end bearings (notshown) and supported against a larger back-up roll 2 which is in turncradled and supported by two considerably larger back-up rolls 3 and 4,these last-mentioned rolls being journalled in side frames 5 and 6 of anappropriate frame and power driven through drive means (not shown). A

As indicated in Fig. 2, a pair of much larger power driven work rolls 7and 8 may be arranged relative to small work roll 1 to cause the sheetmetal strip S traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow toconform to the arcuate surface of roll 1 and consequently to be sharplyflexed thereover. It will be understood that such rolls 7 and 8 arearranged to ensure that the strip is thus wrapped over the small roll 1and are not positioned relative thereto (and relative to the thicknessof the metal strip being processed) to effect a rolling reduction in thethickness of such strip. Further reference maybe had to my aforesaidprior applications for other details of the mounting and operation ofthis roll assembly, the present invention being concerned as aboveindicated with supplemental roll supporting means of a novel type.

The back-up roll 2 immediately supporting the small work roll 1 willdesirably be somewhat oifset in the direction of travel of the work inthe manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, and thisarrangement is of considerable benefit in resisting dislocation anddeformation of the small work roll. To afford additional support,however, I mount one or more roll bracing means such as 9, 111 and 11(Fig. 1) in corresponding circumferential grooves 12 in back-up roll 2,such devices entirely encircling such roll and being split into twoportions joined other side in order better to resist dislodgment ordistorafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the tion ofthe small work roll by the traveling strip. The

race device 9 is contoured normally to avoid contact with the stripwhere the latter is wrapped about work rolls 7, 8 and 1 but includesextended portions adapted to fit within circumferential grooves 17 and18 in large back-up rolls 4 and 3 respectively, closely fitting andconforming to the circular bottoms of such grooves.

It will at once be apparent that the support device or devices such as 9are held in predetermined axial position by seating in the grooves 12,17 and 18. Provision of such grooves, moreover, permits such brace meansto be made thicker than would otherwise be possible if grooves wereprovided only in the larger back-up rolls V 3 3 and 4, for example, oronly in intermediate back-up roll 2. The device fits precisely in suchgrooves to afford substantially solid support for the small work roll 1through to the large back-up rolls 3 and 4, but particularly the latter,.while at the same time such rolls are able to turn with a minimum offriction relative to the support. The latter engages sufiicient portionsof the peripheries of large back-up rolls 3 and 4 to provide a largebearing seat and thereby to distribute the pressures tending to rotatethe support about the axis of intermediate back-up roll 2.

It will be appreciated, of course, that my new support means does notrequire the provision of any grooves in the small work roll itself whichwould not only seriously weaken such roll but would mar the surface ofthe traveling strip. While only the immediate back-up roll 2 need begrooved to receive the roll bracing means or shoe 9, it is preferredalso to groove the larger backup rolls 3 and 4 to avoid the necessity ofproviding an unduly deep groove in roll 2. Various back-up rollarrangements may be employed in addition to the one illustrated by wayof example, and reference may be had to my aforesaid co-pendingapplications for certain other suitable roll arrangements. It willordinarily be desired to provide one brace or shoe midway of the lengthof the elongated small diameter work roll 1, and additional braces maybe provided at uniformly spaced intervals as indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. The outer surface of the shoe may desirably be bevelled andcontoured to facilitate threading of the strip S as well as ensuringsmooth travel of the same during operation of the machine.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated and described, I have provided aroll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal strip and thelike having an elongated small diameter work roll, a first back-up rolloffset in the direction of travel of the strip and two larger back-uprolls cradling the first back-up roll. All three of such back-up rollshave circumferential grooves therein in the same'radial plane with ashoe fitting in the groove in the first back-up roll and completelyencircling the same, portions of such shoe also fitting substantialarcuate portions of the grooves in the larger back-up rolls 3 and 4effective to prevent rotation of the shoe about the axis of the firstback-up roll 2. A groove 15 is provided in the outer surface of the shoereceiving and fitting the small diameter work roll 1 to brace thelatter.

By way of further example, I have found that when processing steel stripapproximately .100 inch thick, the small work roll 1 may desirably havea diameter of 1 inch. When such steel strip has a width of, for example,48 inches or 92 inches, it is important to support this small work rollagainst deformation and dislocation. The braces or shoes of thisinvention in effect constitute bearings for the small work roll locatedwhere needed but without interfering in any way with the operation ofthe roll. These shoes or bearings may ordinarily be of bronze.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of suchbe employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like comprising an elongated small diameter work roll, a firstback-up roll therefor offset in the direction of travel of such strip,and two larger back-up rolls cradling said first back-up roll; all threeof said back-up rolls having circumferential grooves therein in the sameradial plane, a shoe fitting in such groove in said first back-up rolland completely encircling the same, portions of said shoe fittingsubstantial arcuate portions of such grooves in said larger back-uprolls effective to prevent rotation of said shoe about the axis of saidfirst back-up roll, and a groove in the outer surface of said shoereceiving and fitting said small diameter work roll to brace the latter.

2. The roll assembly of claim 1, wherein the side of said groove in saidshoe in the direction of strip travel is higher than the other side ofsaid groove.

3. The roll assembly of claim 1, wherein said shoe is made in twosegments fitted about said first back-up roll and secured together.

4. The roll assembly of claim 1, wherein the surface of said shoe towardsaid two larger work'rolls is spaced from the latter and contoured toguide such strip through the pass.

5. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like comprising an elongated small diameter work roll, a firstback-up roll therefor olfset in the direction of travel of such stripand a second back-up roll engaging said first back-up roll; each saidback-up roll having a circumferential groove therein in the same radialplane, and a shoe fitting in such groove in said first back-up roll andcompletely encircling the same, a portion of said shoe fitting asubstantial arcuate portion of such groove in said second back-up roll,an outer surface portion of said shoe generally opposite to the saidportion of said shoe fitting such groove in said second back-up rollbeing formed to engage and support an arcuate portion of said small workroll.

6. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like comprising an elongated small diameter work roll, a firstback-up roll therefor, and a second back-up roll engaging said firstbackup roll; said first back-up roll having a circumferential groovetherein, and a shoe fitting in such groove having a portion fitting asubstantial arcuate portion of said second back-up roll to brace saidshoe against rotation about the axis of said first back-up roll, theouter surface of said shoe being formed to engage and support an arcuateportion of said small work roll.

7. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like comprising an elongated small diameter work roll, and aback-up roll therefor; said back-up roll having a circumferential groovetherein, a shoe fitting in such groove, support means bracing said shoeagainst rotation about the axis of said back-up roll, the outer surfaceof said shoe being formed to engage and support an arcuate portion ofsmall work roll.

8. The roll assembly of claim 7, wherein said shoe is arranged thus tosupport said small work roll against displacement in the direction oftravel of such strip.

9. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like comprising an elongated small diameter work roll, and aback-up roll therefor directly engaging said roll; arcuate bearing meansfor said small work roll spaced from the respective ends thereof, saidbearing means being directly supported against said back-up roll andleaving a portion of the periphery of said small work roll unobstructed,said arcuate bearing means having a concave arcuate surface engaging andfitting another portion of the periphery of said small work roll.

10. In a roll assembly for processing continuously traveling metal stripand the like, including spaced side frames, a back-up roll having itsrespective ends journalled in said frames, and a work roll I f smalldiameter relative to said back-up roll mounted for support against thelatter; a circumferential groove in said back-up roll intermediate saidside frames, bearing means in said groove having a bearing surfaceengaging said small diameter work roll in a region offset from theregion of engagement of said work roll and said back-up roll, and meansengaging said bearing means effective to prevent rotation of the latter.

5 11. The roll assembly of claim 10, wherein said bear- 2,004,596 ingmeans encircles said back-up roll. 2,273,122 2,776,586 Referepces Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 419 426 1,892,933Ooryell Jan. 3, 19 33 171782 1,905,129 Biggert et a1. Apr. 25, 1933 6Biggert June 11, 1935 Maussnest Feb. 17, 1942 Sendzimir Jan. 8, 1957FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 12, 1934 Germany Aug. 2, 1956

